Clamp for casket-covers.



H. A. NEFF.

CLAMP FOR CASKET COVERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1915 1,170,094. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0. WASHINGTON, u. c.

onrran s'rn'rns Para OFFEQE.

HARRY A. NEFF, OF BEL LAIRE, OHIO, -ASSIGNOB. TO BELMONT CASKET MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF SHADYSIDE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CLAMP FOR CASKET-COVERS.

Application filed'December 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. Nnrr, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Bellaire, county of Belmont, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Casket-Covers, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates broadly to burial caskets, and specifically to mechanism for locking casket covers in place.

The primary object of the invention is to provide simple and inexpensive means whereby the cover of a metallic casket may be clamped in sealing relation to the body thereof.

A further object is to provide, in connection with a metallic casket having inner and outer covers, a seating ledge for the inner cover and means for looking or clamping said inner cover in seated position on said ledge.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of partsand combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference beinghad to 'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross section of a portion of a casket illustrating my invention, the clamp being shown in locking position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clamp in inoperative position; Fig. 3 is a rear eleva- ;tion of the clamp and bearing member; Fig.

4: is a perspective view of the same. illustrating the manner In which the clamp 18 introduced in bearing member; and Fig. 5

-is a plan view of the sheet-metal blank of which the bearing member is formed.

Referring to said draw1ngs, 1n WhlChllke designating characters distinguish l ke parts throughout the several views-1 indicates the metal wall of a casket body which is shaped adjacent to its upper edge to form an outwardly projecting portion which may be ofany suitable ornamental shape or profile, as the molding-like astragal 2. The inturned upper edge of the astragal is designed to have an outer cover, or casket top, 3 superposed thereon and secured thereto in any appropriate manner, as by soldering. Said astragal further serves as a hood within which is received the major portion of a. sheet-metal panel which extends around the interior of the casket'body and which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Serial No. 64,394.

carries the clamping mechanism; said panel and clamping mechanism constituting the present invention. Said panel is bent long1- tudinally into an irregular shape, to provide an upper inwardly-facing channel portion 4: and an inwardly directed open crimp or fold 5. The upper horizontal terminal edge 45 of said panel underlies the inturned upper edge of the astragal 2, constituting a support or reinforcement for the latter. ltxtending vertically downward from the fold 5 is the lower portion 28 of the panel which is rigidly attached, as by soldering,

to the. wall 1 of the casket body at or adjacent to the lower edge of the astragal.

The upper or top surface of the fold 5 constitutes a horizontal ledge designed as a seat for the rim 6 of an inner cover 7. A gasket 8 of rubber or other suitable material is interposed between said rim and said seat and is adapted to be compressed to form an air-tight, seal betweenv said parts. For so compressing said gasket and at the same time locking said inner cover 7 in place I have devised a novel and efficient clamping or locking device which will now be described. Said clamping device comprises a casing-like bearing member, generally designated by the numeral 9, and a pivoted clamp, generally designated by the numeral 10. Said bearing member 9 is composed of a single sheet-metal blank shaped to form a fiat top 11 having projectingears 11*, a

vertical inner face 12 from the opposite ends of which end portions or wings 13 extend in a rearward direction, a turned under horizontal tongue 14 extending rearward from the lower edge of said face 12 adjacent to one end of the latter, a vertical leg. l5

formed by continuing said face 12 downward adjacent to the other end of the latter,

and a horizontally disposed lug 16 extended rearwardly and laterally from said leg.

The clamp 10 consists of a vertical spindle 17 having at its upper end an integral flange or collar 18 and having at its lower end an axial stud 19. Extending horizontally from the upper end of said spindle 17 is a fixed arm 20 in the outer end of which a vertically I disposed set-screw 21 is adj ustably mounted; and extending horizontally from a point adjacent to the lower. end of said spindle is a tongue 22, said tongue being in parallel alinement with said arm 20. Said clamp is rotatably mounted in said member 9, the

spindle 17 being received in a'hole 23 provided therefor in the top 11 and the stud 19 being seated in a hole 24 provided therefor in the lug 16. A slot 25 leading forward from the hole 23 and extending downward into the face 12 of the bearing memberaffords a passage through which the stud 19 swings, as shown in Fig. l, in introducing the bolt in position with respect to the casing.

. The clamp 10 having first been introduced and turnedt'o the position shown in Figs. 2 u and 3, the body of the bearing member 9 is forced downward through a suitable seating slot or aperture 26 provided therefor in the lower inturned member l of the channel portion 4 until the ears 11 assume a' seated position upon said member at opposite ends of said aperture. The inner cover :7 then having been placed in position with its rim "Gfrestmgupon thegasket 8,the arm 20 is {sw ng laterally inward to a position wherein its'freejencl overlies said rim, as shown in jIPigl/l. This a'ction' produces a correspondihgmo'vementor thetongue 22, causing the -1atte'rtoente r thechannelQT formed between tliemember's' of theffold 5'. The setscrew 21 "is then turned do n to bear upon I the rim 6 f'forf bindin gfthej latter uponthe' gasket '8 in.- i .30 deposed between 'it': and the ledge or? seat 1 constituted by the flipper memberr 'Ts ai'd r It bfi esii er od that 'ap i' ali yz' il fi ":clanaps' described is employed, jtheffsame be- [85 [ingdo'cated at suitablyspacedhpoints about interior of-t hecaskeQ-it sap re t that i .theinner cover 7 will be firmlyclamped in "saling re'lation to thecasket'body j W The inner edge of the "leg 15 constitutes a f 40 stopagainst which the tongue' abuts'lvvhen swun into l'ockingip'osition inithefchannel 271 "Thus, in turning tofand from looking position the clamp can only describe an arc vof substantially 90 degrees. The rearwardly 1 5 directed tongue, 14 overlies the tongue '22 when ,the latter occupiesj its outwardly swung,,or inoperative, position, as shown in -Figsu2 and consequently, chance eleva "tio-nfof the. clamp which would effect the withdrawal of the stud l9 fromits pivotal mo t nting lG and Other ise disarrangethe fpart s iseffectually.prevented A sfijsob vieus, "the clampv can only be,reme agrromithe bearing member when the latter 'fhas been .withdrawn from the slot or aperture. 26 in the I panel, sue 'to the fact 1 that the arm'eo and tongue 22must be swungto extend'rearwardly as indicated in Fig. a, tofeffectsu'ch removal, and suchmovementIisfpreventedfby theproximity of the outer'fwall of the chanaap r o e was 'p izi What, is,-claimec l is-Q f Means for secur ng a :cover on v casket dy, 'compr ine wr ngle rig d y --m u imq f rlyirs flibflyi e1e eew hesne edge thereof,"said panel having an inwardly directed open fold formed therein, the upper 7 member of said fold constituting a ledge for the reception of the rim of said cover, a pivoted element mounted rearwardly of said ledge and having a tongue adapted in one position of said element to project into the channel between the members of said fold, an arm carried by the upper end of said 'ele'ment'parallel tosaid tongue for overlying the cover rim, and adjustable means carried by said arm for depressing said rim with respect to said ledge.

2. Means for'securing acover on a casket body, comprising afpanel rigidly mounted interiorly ofsaid'body adjacent to the upper edge thereof, said panel having an-inwardly directed open fold formed therein, theupper member of said fold constituting a ledge fo'r the reception of the rim of said cover, a bearing member mounted on said panel'at the rear of said ledge, a vertical spindle pivoted in said bearing'member and having (an arm adapted 'in one position of the spindle to overlie therim of the cover, a tongue carried by said spindle parallel to said arm and adapted to enter the'channel of said 'fold to'underlie saidledge,'and adj List-able means 'ca'rried'by'said arm for forc- [ii 'said' rim downward with respect to said glle- "sit-leans tor securing a cover on'acaslget body,comprising a panel mounted interi'orly :ofsai'd'b'od "'ljajcent to the upperedge of latte fis dpan'elbeingshapedtoform ly' directedfjopienffoldand'a ledge at" th mar of'said fold, afgasket d upon; pper face'fofsaid'fold, a .bearing'in'emher mounted u'ponsaifd ledge, a "fsj'aindle fpivot'ed in said bearing member, said .105 is'pindle" having V tongue 'adapte'chto jenter the, gqhannel between the {me bers of "said 1 fold closely underlying relation "'to the 11 1 member of the l tte a varm: carried "byt'he up'per nu of said sp indlefparallel ".to,.'1 10 we e Oiig QJ' Qi TQ 'bei g d p a J j die the rim of ca ket cover seated onisai'd s et; an 1' adjus a 'm ser r'c' "said 'r'irn downward to compress Y said gasket. 4. Meansgfoif I a cover on :a casket b dy; ihn I hg' l e l l mel e' t i o ly a panel mounted interiorly of said body adjacent to the upper edge of the latter, said panel being shaped to form two horizontal ledges one of which is located below and inward with respect to the other, a bearing member supported by the upper ledge and extending below the latter, a vertically disposed rotary spindle mounted in said bearing member, horizontal members disposed in parallel alinement carried by said spindle above and below said upper ledge, and a vertically disposed set-screw carried by the uppermost of said members, said spindle being adapted for movement to a position wherein the lower member underlies the lowermost ledge and the upper member overlies the rim of a cover seated on the latter.

6. The combination with a metal casket body, of a panel mounted interiorly of said body, said panel being shaped to form an inwardly directed open fold and a ledge above and at the rear of said fold, a gasket seated upon the upper face of said fold, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

bearing member having a portion projected downward through said ledge, a spindle pivoted in said bearing member, said spindle having a tongue adapted to enter the channel between the members of said fold in closely underlying relation to the upper member of the latter, an arm carried by the upper end of said spindle parallel to said tongue, said arm being adapted to overlie the rim of a casket cover seated on said gasket, and adjustable means for forcing said rim downward to compress said gasket, and means formed on said bearing member for preventing chance elevation of said spindle when the tongue occupies inoperative position.

In testimony wherof, I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY A. NEFF.

Witnesses:

W. T. MURRAY, E. D. MCELWAIN.

Washington, D. G. 

